Decoy anchor



Jan. 30, 1951 A. P. CLARK 2,539,727

DECOY ANCHOR I Filed Feb. 15, 1947 ANN l 4 i8 2 q 23 Z9 4; i 28 2 /-5 553 35 25 5 J 39 T 56 i 35\ 39 3B W I I 19 5 5 14\: 3112 I [I 16 Bnncntor 15 9 4 15 1 ARLIEP CLARK MWZZf Patented Jan. 30, 1951 Arlie P. Clark, Spokane, Wash. Application February 13, 1947, Serial No. 728,233

My invention relates to improvements in a decoy anchor.

In the decoys used by hunters of water fowl such as ducks, geese, etc., there must be provided some means for anchoring them. Ordinarily the decoys are anchored by tying a string to them and providing a small lead weight on the end of the string. When the hunter prepares the decoys to take out he has a lot of difliculty with the'strings and weights. The decoys are usually carried in a bag and unless the strings and weights are properly disposed of they become tangled together in handling. When the decoys are taken up the disposal of the strings and weights is also a troublesome matter.

Means have been proposed in the past to provide for winding the string inside the decoy. However, the winding mechanism proposed did not provide a satisfactory apparatus that would handle the requisite amount of string and that would suitably dispose of the weight.

It is the purpose of my invention to provide a novel decoy anchoring means whichtembodies a reel, a separate spring motor for winding the reel, with means whereby the motor will be locked against rotation and likewise lock the reel when the desired amount of string for anchoring the decoy is reeled out, and when the string is all taken in.

It is also the purpose of my invention to provide a novel device of this character in .which the decoy anchoring mechanism, including the anchor itself, is embodied in a complete unit that is inserted in the usual baseboard of the decoy so that all of the parts are inside the decoy with the bottom of the unit substantially flush with the baseboard to prevent the string and weight from beingpulled out in the ordinary, handling of the decoysand in transporting them. The construction is such that when the anchor is not in use it is carried in a pocket in the bottom of the decoy. When it is in use sufficient'string is attached thereto and housed in the mechanism to take care of a depth of water up to as much as 15 or 20 feet. Y

The novel features that I consider characteristic of my invention are set forth with particularity in the claim. The invention itself, however, both'as to its organization and its method of operation, together with additional objects and advantages thereof, will be understood from the following description of a preferred form of the invention which is also illustrated in the accompanying drawings.

In the drawings: Figure Us a general view illustra g the decoy with an anchor attached by meansfof a string;

1 Claim. (Cl. 43-s Figure 2 is an enlarged fragmentary view of:

L; the decoy with the baseboard shown partly in section and with my improved mechanism mounted thereon;

Figure 3 is an enlarged sectional view of the anchor with the string attached;

' Figure 4 is a vertical sectional view through the reel and spring casting illustrating the drive mechanismfor the reel and illustrating the manner in which the anchor is seated in the decoy,

and

Figure 5 is an enlarged sectional view taken on the line 5-5 of Figure 4.

Referring now to the drawings, Fig. 1, illustrates a decoy Ill having the usual baseboard II. The anchor string 12 is shown extending from the decoy to a small lead weight 13 which provides the anchor. According to my invention I provide a unit M which can be attached to the baseboard ll of a decoy by cutting an opening therein. This unit comprises a supporting plate [5 which is large enough to enable it to be secured by screws It to the baseboard II. The plate is recessed as indicated at I! to receive the anchor I3. I prefer to make the plate of a suitable metal sheet such as aluminum sheet which will not rust.

The plate l5 has an inverted cup l8 mounted thereon, by means of a flange IS on the cup. This cup houses the mechanism for storing and winding up the string H.

Within the cup I8 I provide two spaced vertical supporting walls 20 and 2| which serve to mount a reel shaft 22 and a spring shaft 23. The plates 20 and 2| have suitable bearings as indicated at 24 and 25 for the shafts 22 and 23.

The shaft 22 carries a reel 26 On which the string II is wound. The reel 26 has end disks 21 and 28 for confining the string. Between the disk 28 and the plate 2| vI afiix a gear 29 to the shaft 22. This gear has flanges 30 and 3| projecting beyond the teeththereof so as to provide guide means to keep a drive gear 32 in mesh with the gear 29. V

The gear 32 is fixed on the shaft 23. The shaft 23 carries a drum-portion 33 on which a spring 34 may be wound;v The spring 34 has one end 35 attached to the gear 32. The other end 36 of the spring is attached to the plate 29. It will be noted that the gear 32 is much longer than the gear 29 so that for one revolution of the large gear several turns of the smaller gear will take place. The spring 34, therefore, can be wound with sufficient turns to take care of 15 or 20 feet of string on the reel 26 without using an excessive amount of space for the spring. I prefer to use an elongated spiral spring as .shownin order that the diameter thereof may be kept small.

The spring 34 is put under tension sufficient to draw the weight I3 into the recess ll provided for it. I find, however, that it is necessary to lock the mechanism against rotation when the string is all wound on the reel as well as when the string is drawn out. In order to do this I. provide a locking pawl 38 whichis pivoted by pin 39 on the plate 2|. This pawl is spring pressed toward the gear 32 by a spring 40. In order to release the pawl I connect a rod 4| t0. the. pawl and extend the rod through the plate [5 where it is provided with a head 43 that can be. depressed to release the pawl from the gear. The spring ll passes through an opening 44 in the plate I5 to the reel. It is prevented from becoming entangled with the spring 34 by a shield 45 that. extends, upwardly between the reel and the spring,

It is believed that, the nature and advantages of my invention will be clear from the foregoing description. Having thus. described my invention, I claim:

The combination with av floating decoy having an opening in the base thereof, of an anchor unit. having means for securing it. to the bottom of the decoy, said unit comprising a plate having a rim portion for securing to the decoy base 4 around the opening therein, said plate being recessed upwardly to provide an anchor weight receiving recess, a reel supported on said plate and having a string thereon extending through the REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 657,518 Cook Sept. 11, 1900 811,036 Cram Jan. 30, 1906,. 856,684 Dittman June 11, 1907 1,133,471 Harper Mar. 30, 1915 1,429,558 Bauer Sept. 19, 1922' 1,789,649 Gazecki etv a1 Jan. 20, 1931v 1,967,902

Reichel July 24, 1934 

